Waikato Hospital ward will not be ready until 2027, health minister says

The health minister has confirmed a new 28-bed ward at Waikato Hospital that was supposed to be ready this year will not be ready until 2027.

In November 2025, Simeon Brown announced a fast-tracked hospital wards programme, to quickly install 140 beds around the country.

The interim wards are modular builds, designed to be constructed offsite and then installed on hospital grounds.

The intention is to free up beds in the emergency departments, and speed up wait times.

The new wards were set to be installed at Waikato, Middlemore, Wellington Regional, Nelson, and Hawke's Bay.

When Brown announced the programme, which was funded through Budget 2025, he said all new wards were expected to become operational during the second half of 2026.

But in an answer to a Written Parliamentary Question published in June, Brown explained that "additional acoustic testing" had resulted in an "extended design phase" at Waikato Hospital, with the project now expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027.

Brown's answer said none of the projects had changed in scope, bed count, or location, and all were on track to be delivered.

Labour claims the minister ignored advice on the suitability of the Waikato site, and that the delay will lead to longer wait times.

During Question Time on Thursday, Labour's health spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall asked Brown why the ward was still in its design phase.

"The project has experienced delays due to site selection," Brown said.

"I'm advised the site selection has been an issue, which has had to be worked through due to it being quite close to the helipad, and of course, there being some potential noise issues, stakeholder engagement, including engagement with clinicians."

Brown said it was a "tight site" at Waikato, which potentially required additional infrastructure and insulation. This was being worked through with the "infrastructure team".

Asked by Verrall why he had ignored advice from the Treasury, Ministry of Health, and Infrastructure Commission about the "inadequate planning" of the project, including risks about the Waikato site, Brown said he had been clear Waikato Hospital needed more beds and the project was continuing.

"I'm not sure if the member wants this project to go ahead or not. I mean, I would like to see more beds put into Waikato Hospital. The rapid inpatient units are being constructed in an off-site manner. They can be constructed relatively quickly. They're a modular design. It allows that to be done in a rapid way, to get more beds into hospitals which need them," he said.

"Yes, there are some site issues and some site selection problems, they are being worked through as I would expect them to be, but ultimately I've been clear Waikato Hospital needs more beds and the project continues."

RNZ has seen an email from the Waikato District chief nurse to a New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegate that the "mobile unit is not planned for Waikato," as far as they were aware.

But both Brown and Health New Zealand insist the ward has not been cancelled.

Health New Zealand's infrastructure head of deliver Simon Trotter said the unit was proceeding as planned.

"While the overall delivery timeline is still being refined, project completion is expected in 2027."

According to Brown's original announcement, the Waikato unit was specifically set up to operate as an assessment and diagnostic centre near the emergency department, providing brief observations and treatment outside the main wards.

A Health New Zealand approval to deliver document from October 2025 found the most feasible location would be adjacent to the Acute Services Building, enabling patients "requiring brief observation or treatment to be managed outside of the acute inpatient wards, thereby freeing up existing inpatient bed capacity for higher-acuity patient cohorts".

The document noted that "poor ground conditions" were encountered at the site, but believed the risk could be mitigated if lightweight structure and flexible foundation solutions were incorporated into the design.

A Budget 2025 briefing from the Ministry of Health noted the project was a "Ministerial priority," but officials had concerns there was "uncertainty in scope definition, timing, and cost estimates," concerns the ministry said were also shared by the Treasury and the Infrastructure Commission.

Following Question Time, Verrall told media that Brown "had his heart set" on a particular solution, despite objections from officials.

"It's clear that he has a document which explains the problems with the site, and he was warned by officials in documents for Budget 2025 that there were concerns about the site, that the planning was inadequate," she said.

"He went ahead with this anyway, and decided on a solution, despite officials' concerns. It might be that if he had paused then and chosen another option, there would be a solution in place for that department."

Verrall said people were already waiting too long at that emergency department, which had resulted in "tragic consequences" at times.

"The absence of this ward absolutely makes the wait times longer."

It comes after the death of a patient at the hospital earlier this week drew renewed focus on wait times.

Health New Zealand has confirmed the man presented to the emergency department on Monday night, and was triaged, but later found unconscious. Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Health New Zealand has opened a rapid clinical review, but has already confirmed the man "was waiting longer than we wanted him to be waiting".